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Singing and indigenous education highlight Canada Day in Calgary

Canada is celebrating its 151st birthday on July 1st, and there’s no shortage of ways to mark it in Calgary.

This includes a brand new event the city hopes will bring Calgarians together, and an indigenous showcase.

First off, there will be a massive sing-a-long on Riverfront Avenue at One City One Voice.

Rev 52’s Brian Farrell, along with special guest Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, will lead the people in a rendition of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold.

Theresa Byrne with the city says you don’t need to have the best voice to belt it out.

“Because at the end of the day, when all of those voices come together to make the river valley come to life with song, it will be beautiful.”

The song has a Calgary connection too — Heart of Gold was recorded in the Rolling Stone Mobile Studio.

“It’s the second-largest piece in the National Music Centre’s collection, right here in the City of Calgary,” said Byrne.

The singalong will help kick off main stage performances by Corb Lund, Shred Kelly and Alex Cuba.

Over at Prince’s Island Park, volunteers from Bow Valley College will be educating about Indigenous culture.

There will be a children’s area, artisans, and inside teepees on the Island, elders will be doing cultural teachings on language, ceremony and history.

The College’s Director of the Aboriginal Centre, Noella Wells, says there will be a grand entry at 1 p.m.

“We honour all the people that will be visiting us, we have our host drum which is the Blackfoot Confederacy.”

Wells adds it is important to promote understanding.

“So people have an idea of our ways, even to know that yes we have people around that still speak Anishinaabe, Siksika, Cree and Michif. And those are the languages that you’ll hear on Canada Day in the teepees.”